Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2016 by Gill Furniss, a member of the Labour Party.

Constituency profile

Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough is a constituency in South Yorkshire in England. It covers the northern neighbourhoods of the city of Sheffield, including Brightside, Hillsborough, Burngreave, Pitsmoor, Shiregreen, Longley, Shirecliffe, Southey, Wisewood, Wadsley, Wadsley Bridge and Parson Cross.

Sheffield is traditionally an industrial city that grew rapidly during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, with steelmaking and coal mining being the predominant industries. Much of the city was redeveloped after World War II; the city's steel industry made it a target for the Luftwaffe in the Sheffield Blitz. This constituency is one of the most deprived in the country. Most residents live in council estates made up of semi-detached or terraced housing and around half of households are socially rented. The constituency's average house price is less than half the UK average.

Residents of Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough have a below-average age with a low proportion of retirees. They have low levels of income and homeownership and the child poverty rate is more than double the nationwide figure. Residents generally have low levels of education and a high proportion work in the health and manufacturing sectors. The percentage claiming unemployment benefits is high. White people made up 69% of the population at the 2021 census. Asians, mostly of Pakistani origin, were the largest ethnic minority group at 13% and made up nearly half the population in the Pitsmoor area. Black people were 8% of residents.

At the local city council, most of the constituency is represented by the Labour Party with some Green Party councillors in the neighbourhoods in the south and west of the constituency and Reform UK councillors in the north and east. Voters in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough strongly supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum; an estimated 63% voted in favour of Brexit compared to the UK-wide figure of 52%.

History

Following its review of parliamentary representation in South Yorkshire the Boundary Commission for England recommended substantial changes to the constituency boundaries in Sheffield, to add part of the Sheffield Hillsborough to the whole of the Sheffield Brightside constituency (other than a handful of houses in the corner of Walkley). The rest of the Sheffield Hillsborough constituency formed the southern half of the new Penistone and Stocksbridge seat.

Since its creation, the seat has elected members of the Labour Party; the last instance of either of the two predecessor seats being held by an MP from a party other than Labour was, for both, the period prior to the 1935 general election. Majorities since World War II have been substantial, suggesting a safe seat on historic voting preferences.

The constituency's representative from 2010 to 2015 was David Blunkett, who also represented the predecessor Sheffield Brightside constituency since 1987. Blunkett was a former frontbench senior minister who was a Secretary of State from 1997 until 2005 in the Blair ministry. He served the first four years of government as the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, three years as the Home Secretary and six months as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. Blunkett retired from Parliament at the 2015 general election after representing Brightside/Brightside and Hillsborough for 28 years, the longest of any MP for the seat. The constituency representative from 2015 was Harry Harpham until he died on 4 February 2016. He was succeeded by his widow, Gill Furniss, who won a by-election on 5 May 2016.

Boundaries The City of Sheffield wards of Burngreave, Firth Park, Hillsborough, Shiregreen and Brightside, and Southey.

From the 2024 election minor amendments were made to reflect modifications to ward boundaries.

Members of Parliament ElectionMemberParty 2010 David Blunkett Labour 2015 Harry Harpham2016 by-election Gill Furniss

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result Party Vote % Labour 22,838 56.6 Conservative 10,247 25.4 Brexit Party 3,916 9.7 Liberal Democrats 1,570 3.9 Green 1,210 3.0 Others 585 1.4Turnout40,36656.7Electorate71,154

* Served as an MP in the 2005–2010 Parliament

See also List of parliamentary constituencies in South Yorkshire List of parliamentary constituencies in the Yorkshire and the Humber (region)

Notes

References

External links Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK